Brewer -

BREWER, Maine — Innovation and team work are at the corner stone of everything we do at EMHS (Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems). So we are especially pleased to not only be named a Best Workplace in Maine for the fifth straight year, but to have placed number seven on the large company list (more than 250 employees) of many great Maine companies! We know the reason for that is the great people who work here.

EMHS employees have embraced the idea of being innovative. In the past year alone hundreds of employee generated ideas have been posted to an internal website. Ideas include ways to trim costs, improve services, become more ‚Äúgreen and lean,‚ÄĚ and even some innovative solutions that could improve some of the tools and technology we used to deliver care. Phil Johnson, vice president, Human Resources, said providing employees with the opportunity to have a direct say in improving their workplace, and perhaps health delivery overall, has been very well received, ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs a great feeling to know you can be involved with more than just the work on your desk. That you are a part of something company-wide, something larger that could benefit others feels pretty good.‚ÄĚ

Johnson added that EMHS, through its shared values, places great importance on reward and recognition, community volunteerism, employee driven service teams, and training and development. Employees‚Äô ‚ÄúTotal Health‚ÄĚ is also very important throughout the system, and at the Home Office in Brewer. Employees are encouraged and incentivized to join fitness centers, participate in classes such as Zumba, yoga, Weight Watchers at work (some of which are on-site), and other wellness initiatives. ‚ÄúThis organization is serious about taking care of its employees,‚ÄĚ Johnson said, ‚Äúbut we don‚Äôt take ourselves ‚Äėtoo seriously‚Äô ‚Äď we collectively have a lot of fun at work while we support the very serious business of healthcare.‚ÄĚ

‚ÄúHealthcare nationwide is under a lot of stress right now. At EMHS we try in every way possible to be efficient and cost effective, while at the same time deliver high quality services to our patients,‚ÄĚ said Johnson. EMHS serves as the ‚ÄúHome Office‚ÄĚ for a healthcare system with nearly 8,000 employees, seven member hospitals, three affiliated hospitals, multiple integrated physician groups, long-term care and home health companies, emergency transport teams, and a number of other organizations that support the health delivery system in central, eastern, and northern Maine. The 444 employees in the EMHS Home Office provide centralized support in such areas as information technology, human resources, accounting and finance, and billing and compliance.